STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB PUDDING

3 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 cup strawberries
1 cup water
3 T tapioca

Boil above ingredients until soft and tapioca is cooked.  Pour into four serving cups and let coool.  Add sugar substitute of choice to taste when pudding is lukearm and cool in refrigerator.  Top with whipped topping if desired.

Well, I used real sugar and just kept adding it and adding it and tasting.  I think I used about 2 cups in this recipe.  It pretty and thickened up nicely.  Would I make it again?  Probably not though.

WISHING WELL CAKE (Akin to Pound)

1 cup soft-type margarine (containing liquid safflower oil)
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 T almond extract
2 cups sifted flour

Blend margarine and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition until light and fluffy.  Stir in almond extract and salt.  Gradually blend flour into creamed mixture.  Turn into ungreased 10" tube pan.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes until cake tester inserted in cake comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool a few minutes.  Then turn out and cool completely.  Invert cake and spread with powdered sugar glaze.

This has a crunchy outside and pound cake like inside.  I actually made the following blogged recipe, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pudding, to go on top of it.  It's all right.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

1 cup butter or margarine (room temp)
2-1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup milk
1 t vanilla

Cream butter until light and fluffy.  Add sugar gradually creaming well.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Sift fluor, measure, then sift twice again with salt, baking powder, and cocoa.  Mix in dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating just until blended.  Stir in vanilla.  Turn into a greased and floured 10" tube pan.  Bake in a slow oven 325 for about one hour and 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.  Let cool on rack.  Then turn out.  Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Good served with whipped cream, ice cream, peaches, or berries.

I like this all right, but I found it a little dry.  We put ice cream on in, and it was just fine for a one-time thing.

SPICY TEA CAKES

1 cup butter or margarine (soft)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
2-1/4 cup sifted flour
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla.  Add sifted dry ingredients and then the walnuts.  Roll into 1" balls.  Bake on ungreased baking sheet 10 to 12 minutes at 400.  When warm roll in powdered sugar.  When cool, roll in powdered sugar again.  Makes about 4 dozen.

This is a modification to Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Teacakes by adding in the extra spices.  It's good, but I like the original cookies better.

EASY LASAGNE

1 8-oz pkg. lasagne noodles
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
2 T flour
1 cup sour cream
1 t salt
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 T chopped green peppers
1/4 cup chopped ripe olives
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to pkg. directions.  Drain well.  Brown and scramble ground beef.  Drain off excess drippings.  Stir in tomator sauce and flour.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Mix together the cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, onion, green pepper, and olives.  Place a layer of noodles in buttered 9 X 13 baking dish.  Spread on half cottage cheese mixture and half meat mixture.  Add another layer of noodles making sure you save enough noodles for a top layer and then add second half of cottage cheese mixture and 3/4 of remaining meat mixture.  Put on top layer of noodles, remaining meat mixture (very thin layer) and sprinkle parmesan cheese, then mozzarella cheese over top.  Bake 30 minutes at 350.  Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.  Serves 12 single servings or 6-8 people.  Can be frozen.

Well, this was easy, true, but not very flavorful.  There are no italian seasonings in this and also I usually like a little pork sausage in mine. 

PUMPERNICKEL BREAD

2 pkg. dry yeast
1-1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 t salt
1/3 cup molasses
1 t caraway seed
1 T shortening
2 cups whole rye flour (100%)
2-2-1/4 cups white flour
2 t cornmeal
1 egg white
3/4 t caraway seed

(For double narrow bread pan)

In large mixing bowl dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add salt, molasses, 1 T caraway seed, and shortening.  Stir.  Place rye four and 2 cups white flour in a small bowl.  Blend using a large spoon.  Gradually add flour to liquid mixture.  Use hands to blend in flour at the end.  Add remaining 1/4 cup white flour if necessary to make dough easy to handle.  Knead on lightly floured surface for five to eight minutes or until dough is elastic and not sticky.  Place in a greased bowl.  Cover dough with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until double in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.  Punch down and place on a lightly floured surface.  Divide into two equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a long narrow loaf about 14" in length and 1-1/2" in diameter.  Lightly grease inside of EKCO french bread pan.  Sprinkle 1 t cornmeal in each section.  Shake pan to distribute evenly.  Place loaves in pan.  Make sure the loaves do not come any closer than 1-1/2" to ends of the pan.  With a sharp knife make three or four diagonal 1/4" deep slashes on the top of each loaf.  Brush with egg white and sprinkle with 3/4 t caraway seed.  Do not cover.  Let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 30-35 minutes.  Remove from pan at once.

The flavor on this was really nice, although my loaves came out a little crusty, some people may like it like that.

HOLIDAY PUNCH

ORANGE & PINEAPPLE

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
6 eggs
1 quart orange juice
1 quart pineapple juice
1 quart gingerale
orange sherbet

Beat eggs with sugar and spices.  Stir in juices and ginger ale blending thoroughly.  Add scoops of sherbet.  Makes 24 1/2 cup servings.

The first thing that caught my eye when I read this was...what?  6 eggs??  I bravely surveyed the family, and they said they would try it if I made it.  It tastes really good, but the eggs have a tendency to congeal and get into clumps after a while.  You wouldn't be able to save this and serve it later.  I think she was going for an Orange Julius type of thing here.